- http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/12/11/07/nor-easter-tests-hospitals-health-officials-still-recovering-from-sandy/
- http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/12/11/08/anxiety-and-stress-hurricane-sandy-s-invisible-legacy/
- http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/12/11/12/out-of-the-superstorm-valuable-lessons-for-health-providers/
- http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/12/12/11/crisis-counselors-concentrate-on-sandy-s-emotional-impact/
Provide names of other journalists involved.
Managing editor Lee Keough and copy editor Aaron Fischer.
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Nov. 8, 9 and 13 and Dec. 12.
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
The stories looked at health workers’ response to Hurricane Sandy, with a focus on the mental health consequences both in the immediate aftermath of the storm and the longterm effort.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
These articles drew on crisis-response fact sheets and research. No public records requests were required.
Explain types of human sources used.
I started working as a healthcare reporter nine days after Sandy struck New Jersey. I knew I had to both be developing as many sources as possible while also focusing on the biggest story of the year in the state. I spoke with state, local and hospital officials, as well as federal officials and public health advocates.
Results:
One article found state, federal and hospital officials already focusing on what was learned from the experience, to apply these lessons to future crises. The Dec. 12 article pointed out that the mental-health response will last well into 2013.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No corrections or clarifications were printed.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Sometimes major stories happen when you are starting in a new job or beat. I was new to healthcare reporting but new that readers wouldn’t care and would expect articles that reflected a high level of expertise. This meant taking extra time with interviewees to make sure I understood the subject well, as well as additional hours honing the articles.